Sindh’s seven-member caretaker cabinet takes oath in Karachi

–Interim CM says non-political persons inducted in cabinet to hold transparent elections

KARACHI: A seven-member cabinet of Sindh’s caretaker Chief Minister Fazalur Rahman took oath in a ceremony held in Karachi on Friday.

The oath was administered by Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair.

Khair Muhammad Junejo, Jameel Yousuf, Dr Junaid Shah, Colonel (r) Dost Muhammad Chandio, Dr Sadia Rizvi, Simon John Daniel, and Mushtaq Ahmad Shah became part of the province’s caretaker government.

Members of the cabinet were decided after consultations between caretaker Chief Minister Fazlur Rehman and legal experts.

The oath-taking ceremony contradicted earlier reports that it won’t be taking place anytime soon due to Grand Democratic Alliance’s reservations against the cabinet members.

The GDA delegation, led by Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah, had conveyed their concerns over Ejaz Ahmed Khan, the principal secretary to the chief minister, who is reportedly facing NAB cases, and said his presence could damage the credibility of the CM Office.

INTERIM CM VOWS TO HOLD FAIR ELECTIONS:

CM Fazulur Rehman has said that he has inducted non-political and respectable persons in his cabinet and the cabinet is balanced. The objective is to hold free, fair and transparent election in a very conducive and peaceful atmosphere, he said.

He made the remarks while talking to media just after laying floral wreath and offering Fateh at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah along with his cabinet, said a statement.

He said that the Sindh had the honour to appoint a caretaker chief minister before any other provinces and he carried forward the tradition and inducted caretaker cabinet before any other province.

“My cabinet is balanced and comprises on apolitical persons who command respect in the society and we have no agenda except holding free, fair and transparent election in a conducive atmosphere in which all political party can participate freely,” he said.

“During my caretaker tenure, I will try his best to establish good governance for which I gave clear instruction to all the government departments,” he added.

To a question, Fazul-ur-Rehman said that there were 40 departments in Sindh government, but we inducted only seven ministers because we have to perform day-to-day routine work, therefore small cabinet will be good enough, he said and added yes, we can induct one or two more, if needed.

Replying to a question he said that he has chaired two meetings for proper distribution of irrigation water so that tail-enders could receive some water.

“We also discussed and decided the proper distribution of water in the city,” he said.

The outgoing Sindh government and opposition had named Rehman as the caretaker chief minister of the province on June 1.

The former chief secretary was sworn in as the caretaker chief minister of Sindh on Saturday.